As an avid Jeeper, I found this self proclaimed statement to be
very bold coming from a town with a year round population of 800
people! One would expect a statement like that to be more befitting
of Moab, Utah or South Lake Tahoe, California but after a little
research, I came to the conclusion that Ouray, Colorado might just
have a reason to boast. At an elevation of 7700 feet and surrounded
by 14’ers (Colorado lingo for 14,000 ft mountains), Ouray is
a small town devoted to outdoor recreation. Where else can you find
a town of this size boasting 8 different Jeep rental businesses,
including the local KOA campground! Ouray also has some of the more
famous high mountain passes including Black Bear, Imogene,
Engineer, and others within easy driving distance of town. Ouray
sounded like the perfect place to take my family on vacation! To
prepare the Jeep for the trip I ordered a Full Traction 4”
lift, Russell braided brake lines, American Racing Atlas wheels,
and 33” BFG Mud Terrains tires. I figured that 2 months time
would be enough to get the Jeep ready, but the lift was on back
order and UPS didn’t drop it off until 2 days before the
trip! With the help of a good friend, The Jeep was finished and
loaded hours before leaving.
My Jeep was slightly modified, but a
stock Jeep can enjoy the trails just as easily with the exceptions
of Black Bear Pass and Poughkeepsie Gulch. Rental Jeeps are also
not allowed on these trails. Our long trip began in Montana and we
were excited to get to Ouray, but we had a wedding to attend first
in Boulder, CO. Since Boulder just happens to be minutes from
Carnage Canyon, which is a popular trail, my brother and I snuck
out for a few hours the day of HIS wedding to try out the new mods
done to the Jeep.
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Finally
loaded and ready to go |
Carnage Canyon is located NW of Boulder and can be found with a GPS
at N-40deg 6.392 W-105deg 19.331. For those that do not have a GPS
at their disposal, the trail head is FR2025 off of Left Hand Canyon
road. It is a great place for an afternoon of exploring and can be
done in a stock Jeep if the left hand bypass is taken. The fact
that the trail head is close to town is another benefit, especially
when there’s a wedding to attend and the groom is with
you!
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Flex test at
the top of Carnage Canyon |
We were both very pleased with the capability of the newly
installed lift and tires. The Full Traction kit is very flexible
for a short arm and the manufacturer claims an RTI of 1160 with
this kit. Not only does it work well off road, the ride and
handling have exceeded my expectations. Luckily for us, we had no
problems or breakage and made it to the wedding on time!
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Driving into
Ouray, Colorado |
We left Boulder towing our Jeep with my newly married brother and
his wife towing their 91 YJ. The drive to Ouray is incredibly
beautiful and becomes even more so the closer you get to town. On
the way there, we stopped in Leadville at the National Mining
Museum which is a must stop for anyone interested in mining
history. If exploring isn’t the only thing on your agenda,
Ouray also has other activities including the Bachelor Syracuse
Mine Tour, Box Canyon Falls Park, Ouray Hot Springs Pool (with
watersides for the kids), golfing, hiking, fishing, and much more.
Our plan for the first day was to drive over Imogene Pass to
Telluride, then drive back to Ouray via Ophir Pass. The start of
Imogene Pass is on the south edge of town on FR869. GPS coordinates
are N-37deg 56.406 W-107deg 48.711.
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Near the top
of Imogene Pass |
This area is also popular due to the amount of history, old mines,
and ghost towns that are very abundant. Most of the roads open to
the off-road crowd were put in by hard working mules and miners
hoping to find the mother lode. A sizable amount of the original
buildings are gone due to fires, heavy snow loads, and old age but
the ones that remain can still give us a glimpse into the lives of
the people that helped shape this area. On the Ouray side of the
pass, you will drive past Camp Bird Mine, which in the past, had
been destroyed by an avalanche and rebuilt. The Tomboy mine is
located 8000 ft above Telluride and is an interesting area to
explore, but be careful as the buildings are unstable.
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YJ followed
by a Yamaha Rhino on Imogene Pass |
Today, it’s hard to imagine that a daily stage would carry
passengers and mail to the Tomboy Mine as it’s a rough ride
even in a modern Jeep. Riding in a wagon with very little
suspension and wooden seats had to be rough!
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Above the
clouds at the Tomboy Mine |
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Coming down
Telluride side of Imogene Pass |
Driving down the Telluride side of Imogene pass, the road is very
narrow and steep but the views are incredible. Along this route,
you get a great view of Black Bear Pass and Bridal Veil Falls.
These 350 ft falls fed the Smuggler-Union hydroelectric plant to
supply electricity to operate the local mines. Because of this
plant, the town of Telluride had electricity before New York City!
After leaving Telluride, we were on to Ophir Pass.
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Black Bear
Pass & Bridal Veil Falls |
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Ophir Pass on
the west side |
Ophir Pass is a scenic and relatively easy pass. It’s also
the quickest way back to Ouray from Telluride. It brings you to Hwy
550, otherwise known as the Million Dollar Highway.
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Making the
climb up Ophir |
Depending on which local you ask, the Million Dollar Highway
was named as such because it’s rumored to have cost over a
million dollars per mile to build. The other explanation is that
the highway bed was built from tailings piles that still contained
gold, and if extracted, would be worth a million dollars.
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Coming down
the east side of Ophir Pass |
Whichever story you believe, the drive is still one of the most
incredible sections of pavement in SW Colorado and if you forget to
put the pins back in your front sway bar, can be an exciting one
too!
LEVE Note: I hope you enjoyed Steve's article as much as I
have. If so, stay tuned for more installments and see a little more
of Jeepin' Heaven.
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